Presently, ground-based air traffic control (ATC) automation applications determine the airspace delay. Such an airspace delay typically manifests itself as a time-of-arrival at a destination later then originally planned for the aircraft. Any number of factors can contribute to such a delay including, for example, air traffic congestion, bad weather at the destination airport, emergency vehicle response at the destination, the need to accommodate an unscheduled landing of another aircraft, etc. Airspace delays are generally handled by relaying specific speed, altitude and/or directional changes from ATC to each affected aircraft in a frequently updated, multiple-instruction manner. In effect, ATC must “micro-manage” each aircraft subjected to the airspace delay.
Presently known ground-based airspace delay methodologies are not efficient in management of airspace delay. Additionally, ATC ground-based automation generally cannot account for specific weather being experienced by an aircraft, aircraft performance, cost of operation for a particular aircraft, etc. As a result, management of airspace delay is typically much less than optimal with respect to fuel consumption, air traffic congestion, situational awareness and overall flight safety. Furthermore, present airspace delay procedures are often not implemented for a given aircraft until it arrives at an airspace entry fix, resulting in limited response options. Therefore, improved airspace delay management would have great utility.